April 17 trial set in dog death

Staff Reports

A Gardnerville woman is set for trial April 17 in East Fork Justice Court on charges she abandoned a Great Dane mix on Pinenut Road, ending in the dog's death when he was struck by a car.

Sabrina Lohr was set for a hearing Wednesday in court. Her lawyer, Tod Young, filed a notice of setting for a trial, indicating she was pleading not guilty to three misdemeanor charges.

Lohr, 40, is charged with abandoning an animal, cruelty to animals and dog at large. According to the criminal complaint, Lohr showed up at the Douglas County Animal Shelter with Rocket on Nov. 14, and reportedly said she would dump the dog if the shelter didn't take him. She said she was leaving for two weeks in Spain.

The shelter, which was undergoing renovation at the time, advised Lohr there was no room for the dog, and told her it was against the law to abandon the pet.

According to the complaint, Lohr turned Rocket loose on Pinenut Road where he wandered frightened for 10 days until he was hit by a car and killed the day after Thanksgiving.

Shelter workers tried in vain to win Rocket's trust by leaving food and water.

The maximum penalty is a $1,000 fine and six months in Douglas County Jail on each charge if convicted.